Team Building — Why Not?

Everybody probably heard about such an activity and participated in one. However, some people do not like to visit such events arguing that they do not have time, or they have other tasks to do, and so on. Sometimes that may be true, sometimes not. So, what is going on there, why some people avoid such events, and how to deal with this situation?

What to Dislike

The very first thing people may dislike in team building is to meet other people. It may be colleagues from other departments, people with bad habits, or just some random people. Also, the number of people can be an issue too. For example, a team building for 100+ employees when nobody knows each other can be an issue.

Then there is an agenda question. Not all people like Chinese food, playing cardboard games or having picnics. Of course, it is impossible to satisfy everybody, but some strong dislikes may become a problem.

Not everybody likes to talk so that communication can be an issue too. It depends on the size of the team and personal preferences, but do not expect this thing to be self-organized. Leaders and extraverts may be pretty happy in such a situation, but all the others may need additional support.

And finally, some people indeed think that team building is just time spent uselessly. It is hard to argue with that as every person has its plans, and team building may break them. However, the team building itself may be a great addition to communication inside the team. And it is also an excellent opportunity to meet other teams and share an experience.

So, how to avoid these issues and organize a perfect team building?

Perfect Team Building

First, check if people want to participate in a team building or do not mind against it, at least. If you have a big team, then it may be an issue, as some people may not participate because of internal conflicts.

Then check if team building is going to be interesting for most of the participants. Check which activities your employees like, which — dislike, and organize something appropriate. You can not satisfy everyone, but check that most people are going to like it.

Make sure that there will be a time and a place for communication, as this is the main point of team building. It can be a quiet room in a restaurant, or just a bar stand with a free beer — but it has to be somewhere, and people must be aware of it.

Try to explain what is the point of team building and how it is beneficial for all team members. The boring theory is not the way to go — try to explain it as to regular people. You may emphasize that this is just a way to relax and spend some time together without any obligations. And make sure that it is true!

The points mentioned above do not cover all the possible issues that may happen before or during the team building. Little advice — if people already participated in team building before and they liked it, then it is going to be easy to persuade them to go there it again. And vice versa, unfortunately. But one way or the other — you need to do your best to organize such activity and keep the team happy!